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+ The Irish Times ++ Philanthropists must continue to support peace process19th June, 2014 -
Head of Worldwide Ireland Funds speaks to NI gathering of 120 philanthropists from around the world Governments, civic society and philanthropists must remain focused on achieving a normalised society in Northern Ireland, Kieran McLoughlin, president and chief executive of the Worldwide Ireland Funds has urged.Mr McLoughlin was commenting as more than 120 philanthropists from around the world gathered in Belfast for the annual conference of the Worlwide Ireland Funds.
Delegates travelled from 22 cities in 9 countries including the United States, Australia,Singapore and China. All are committed philanthropists who are already supporting the charity sector in Ireland, North and South.
- View article

In the Media

13th February, 2015 -
The Wicklow Hospice Foundation has already raised in excess of €3 million, including a €1 million donation from a mystery benefactor.
The beautiful coastal site at Magheramore was also donated free of charge by the Columban Sisters.
The Foundation hopes to have the hospice up and running by late 2017.
Dr. Brendan Cuddihy, Chairman Wicklow Hospice Foundation, insists that most of the credit for the hospice rests with the people of Wicklow who so generously supported various fundraising initiatives.
'This week six years ago, the Wicklow Hospice Foundation was first set up with the aim of building a much-needed Hospice facility for Wicklow. We are thrilled that all the hard work is now about to pay off. We are indebted to our many supporters, big and small.
'The people of Wicklow made this happen - they put their hearts and souls into this Magheramore Hospice facility as too many of them had seen close family die in faraway acute hospitals and denied access to inpatient specialist hospice care in their own community.'
Wicklow TD, Simon Harris, says he is hopeful that the HSE will soon announce funding for the running of the facility. He recently arranged a meeting between members of the Hospice Foundation and Health Minister Leo Varadkar.
Kieran McLoughlin, CEO of the American Ireland Fund, also gives the project his blessing. 'The generosity of donors here and in the US has been instrumental and will continue to be so in building the hospice facility.'
- View article

+ Business & Finance ++ A promising future for Ireland

11th November, 2014 -
The Worldwide Ireland Funds Annual Conference took place in Northern Ireland in June for first time in almost 40 years, signalling the organisation’s ongoing commitment to the Peace Process.
Over 120 philanthropists from around the world gathered in Belfast in June to attend the Annual Conference of The Worldwide Ireland Funds. This was the first time in almost four decades that the event took place in its entirety in Northern Ireland. Delegates travelled from 22 cities in nine countries including the US, Australia, Singapore and China. All in attendance are committed philanthropists who are already supporting the charity sector in Ireland, North and South. - View article

20th June, 2014 -
MORE than 120 "committed philanthropists" from around the world have descended on Belfast to help find ways to boost the peace process.
It is the first time in almost 40 years that the Worldwide Ireland Funds (WIF) has held its annual conference in Northern Ireland.
Philanthropists from 22 cities in nine countries, including the US, Australia, Singapore and China, are meeting to discuss the funds' priorities – and how their donations can best meet the ongoing needs of communities north and south. The conference comes as the WIF has just announced a $1m (€734,459) donation to Co-Operation Ireland, the all-island peace building charity led by Peter Sheridan OBE.
The conference comes as the WIF has just announced a $1m (€734,459) donation to Co-Operation Ireland, the all-island peace building charity led by Peter Sheridan OBE.
The Co-Operation Ireland donation is part of a $16m block of grants that have been distributed by the WIF across Ireland this year.
Kieran McLoughlin, president and CEO of the WIF, appealed for a renewed focus on peace in Northern Ireland.
"Though the peace process has slipped from the radar of many, our coming here represents our commitment to doing our bit to bringing it to a successful conclusion," said Mr McLoughlin.
Christopher Moran, Co-Operation Ireland's chairman, said the announcement by the WIF is "a phenomenal boost" for his organisation and the many grassroots groups they work with on both sides of the border.
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20th June, 2014 -
Belfast: The Worldwide Ireland Funds have given $1 million to the troubled peace process in Northern Ireland as over 120 philanthropists from around the world are gathered in Belfast to attend the Annual Conference. The grant was given to Co-Operation Ireland, for help with programs in the hardest hit areas in both communities.The gift and the presence of the Fund conference in Belfast for the first time ever is a strong statement says CEO Kieran McLoughlin that the peace process must continue to receive American attention and support, McLoughlin President and CEO of The Worldwide Ireland Funds said “Though the Peace Process has slipped from the radar of many, our coming here represents our commitment to doing our bit to bringing it to a successful conclusion. The Peace Process is just that, a process not an event and all of us - governments, civic society and philanthropists -must remain focused on achieving a normalised society in Northern Ireland”.
The Ireland Fund conference attendees were hosted at Stormont Castle on Thursday night by First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. Both men praised the work of the Funds and McGuinness stated that without American involvement the peace process would never have succeeded.
Delegates have travelled from 22 cities in 9 countries including the US, Australia, Singapore and China. All are committed philanthropists who are already supporting the charity sector in Ireland, North and South.
Proceedings commenced on Wednesday night at a welcome dinner hosted by the Secretary of State Teresa Villiers in Hillsborough Castle with a piano performance by Claire Bowes who was blinded by the Omagh bombing in 1998.
The $1 million gift for peace is part of the $16 million that the Funds have distributed in grants across the island of Ireland so far this year.
On Friday, there will be a Gala Dinner held in the Titanic Centre at which the American Ireland Fund AWB Vincent Literary Award will be presented to celebrated poet, Leontia Flynn including a €25,000 bursary.
On Saturday, delegates will be taken on a guided tour of Antrim’s North Coast where they will visit the Giant’s Causeway and the Corrymeela Community. The Conference concludes with a Dinner at Mount Stewart House & Gardens. - View article

+ The Irish Times ++ Philanthropists must continue to support peace process

19th June, 2014 -
Head of Worldwide Ireland Funds speaks to NI gathering of 120 philanthropists from around the world Governments, civic society and philanthropists must remain focused on achieving a normalised society in Northern Ireland, Kieran McLoughlin, president and chief executive of the Worldwide Ireland Funds has urged.Mr McLoughlin was commenting as more than 120 philanthropists from around the world gathered in Belfast for the annual conference of the Worlwide Ireland Funds.
Delegates travelled from 22 cities in 9 countries including the United States, Australia,Singapore and China. All are committed philanthropists who are already supporting the charity sector in Ireland, North and South.
- View article

+ Irish Central ++ Ireland Fund does the business and the celebrity at NY dinner

9th May, 2014 -
Former Police Commissioner Ray Kelly razzed Mayor Bill de Blasio by saying Liam Neeson was the most important politician in New York after his fight to save the carriage horses. British royalty Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson wowed many in the the star-struck crowd and posed happily for photos. - View article

21st January, 2014 -
Last weekend the third Worldwide Summit of the Ireland Funds’ Young Leaders gathered in New York City.
120 young philanthropists from across the US as well as Canada, Ireland, Britain and as far as Australia discussed how they can increase their contributions to Irish charities.
The Young Leaders are effectively the youth wing of the Ireland Funds. Up until recently, it was a loose group who gathered at the fringes of some of the Funds’ top end events around the world. Social interaction was the original motivation.
However, in the last number of years the Funds have invested considerably in this initiative, appointing a National Director of the Young Leaders, Pat Tully.
This has all been part of the aggressive growth strategy from the Fund pursued by its CEO Kieran McLoughlin.
Since he took over in 2009 his plan was to launch the Promising Ireland Campaign to accelerate giving to the organization, despite philanthropy in the US going through a really tough time.
The results have been extraordinary. The goal for the campaign has been doubled from $100 to $200 million and basically one third of everything the organization has raised over its close to forty year history has come in over the last five years.
So far during that period the Fund has supported over 650 charities and last year gave away $20 million alone. This is all the more impressive considering that there is not a dime or a euro of Irish or US government money included in these numbers. Everything is raised from private supporters.
However, investing in the Young Leaders is not just about money, although these up and comers in their thirties will collectively raise $2 million for the campaign, this is still about seeding the leadership of
Irish America for the future. According to McLoughlin, Ireland cannot afford to takes these young people for granted.
“They are wealthier and more integrated within mainstream America than their parents or grandparents. It would be a mistake to think that all the traditional emblems of Irish identity were still as relevant to them.
"We have got to work hard to maintain their interest and their concern. These people have the resources and connections and are as likely to travel to Barcelona as they are to Bantry. The good news is, however, that as they get beyond some of the more twee representations of Ireland they really engage with reality.
"They are genuinely interested in making a difference and helping to resolve knotty social problems. Proof of that is the fact that 120 are traveling from around the world on their own dime to be with us and 100 of them will join our annual worldwide conference in Belfast in June. Ireland cannot take its preeminent position in the American system for granted.
"As America changes and becomes more diverse and as other communities such as Hispanics and Asian Americans organize and mobilize, our position will be less assured. Preparing the Young Leaders now to fight Ireland’s corner is essential”.
That said, real business is getting done. Yesterday, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland secured a $100,000 gift from a donor to whom they were introduced by the Fund. Commenting, SEI’s Darren Ryan said, “The support for the work of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland has come at a crucial time and it wouldn’t have happened without the support of the Fund. It is humbling to see the continued passion that Irish Americans have for cases in Ireland.” - View article

+ Irish Independent ++ Philanthropy matters now more than ever

10th October, 2013 -
October 10, 2013 - At a time of economic depression it is uplifting to note that the Worldwide Ireland Funds has doubled the target for its 'Promising Ireland' campaign from $100m to $200m. The organisation has supported over 650 charities and not-for-profit organisations across Ireland over the years, the money coming from private philanthropists and the 12 countries where the funds have a presence.
CEO Kieran McLoughlin says the Ireland Funds is inundated by an unprecedented level of demand from struggling charities, and it now hopes to raise $2m a month to meet this new target.
In times of recession this is a brave and heartening move.
It also came on a day when an audience of 250 invited guests gathered in Dublin to hear former US president Bill Clinton share his insights into ongoing funding and philanthropy in Ireland. Delivering the annual Ray Murphy Memorial Lecture organised by The Forum on Philanthropy and Philanthropy Ireland, President Clinton appealed to the business community and industry leaders to support Ireland's struggling not-for-profit sector.
Philanthropists, particularly the Irish American businessman Chuck Feeney, have contributed so much to Ireland over the years. And it is clear that those associated with philanthropic organisations are just as intent on continuing the important work of supporting peace and justice in this country, north and south, through their invaluable work for those most in need.
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10th October, 2013 -
October 10, 2013 - STRUGGLING charities have gotten a welcome boost with news that the Worldwide Ireland Funds is to double its target to raise money to assist them after "unprecedented demand" from the sector.
The Funds aims to raise €148m for its Promising Ireland campaign that has supported more than 250 charities and not-for-profit organisations across the island of Ireland in the past five years.
The campaign, which was due to close at the end of this year, has raised more than €100m already and will be extended to the end of 2015 to reach this new goal.
The fresh target will require the Funds to raise on average €1.48m a month – twice the current level.
All of the monies raised have come from private philanthropists and organisations across the 12 countries in which the Funds has a presence, drawn from the network of people of Irish ancestry and friends of Ireland.
CEO of the Worldwide Ireland Funds Kieran McLoughlin said it was looking at a series of initiatives – in addition to fundraising – through which it can offer support.
The not-for-profit sector in Ireland was key to maintaining the social fabric as the country recovers, Mr McLoughlin said.
"Our donors are really standing up when it counts most in a practical and impactful response by the diaspora," he added.
Among agencies to have benefited in the past are Barnardos, Barretstown, the Irish Georgian Society and the Trinity Access Programmes. The Funds programme has helped more than 1,200 organisations since it was founded in 1976.
- View article

+ Winesearcher.com ++ From Cork to Claret: The Irish Wine Connection

6th August, 2013 -
The Irish have been credited with many things, including saving civilization as a New York Times bestseller once claimed. But when it comes to wine, their role is not widely recognized. Ted Murphy of the aptly named County Cork has sought to change that. And, thanks to the Ireland Funds Winegeese Society, that history is gaining a greater renown.
A society of Winegeese may be easily misunderstood as a society of “wine geeks.” And that’s not far off. Murphy coined the name from the term “Wild Geese.” When King James II, the Catholic king of England, Ireland and Scotland, was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, he sought safety in France. After a religious crackdown in Ireland in 1691, many of his supporters, known as Jacobites, followed him to France via Bordeaux. This wave of Irish emigrants were known as the “Wild Geese.”
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+ Irish Central ++ Could Governor Martin O’Malley end up in the White House in 2016?

24th June, 2013 -
There has certainly not been a presidential contender since Kennedy who is as familiar and connected to Ireland. At the American Ireland Fund dinner he fitted in seamlessly with Prime Minister Enda Kenny and Irish American icon Michael Flatley as the evening’s celebrities. He is at home as easily in Dublin as the streets of Baltimore. I met him first when we were seatmates on a President Clinton trip to Ireland in 2000 and he informed me about Irish history and famous landmarks rather than the other way around. This was a different kind of Irish American politician I concluded.His great grandfather, also Martin, left Maam, County Galway, settling in Arizona before moving to Pittsburgh. The pirate queen Grace O’Malley is somewhere in the deep ancestral background. He understands how the struggles of the Irish allowed them to understand others.
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24th June, 2013 -
The state of Maryland’s trade mission to Ireland has ended, but Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) is lingering this week for a little “personal time,” his office said Monday. O’Malley spokeswoman Takirra Winfield said the governor — who is not shy about displaying his heritage — is “hanging out with friends and family” in Ireland and is lodging with extended family at no expense to the state. First lady Catherine Curran O’Malley, who accompanied the governor on last week’s trade mission, which also included a few days in France, has since returned home, and none of the couple’s four children is traveling with the governor, Winfield said. So what is O’Malley up to? Part of the answer was provided by the Periscope column on the Irish Central Web site, which noted O’Malley’s whereabouts Saturday, the day after his final events on the public itinerary released by his office. “He was the guitar player at the after-dinner sing song at The American Ireland Fund dinner in the K Club, 20 miles from Dublin,” said the column, written by Niall O’Dowd. “The music went on late into the night as the assembled sang every Irish song they ever knew, and he matched them note for note.” O’Malley, who fronts the semi-retired Celtic rock band O’Malley’s March, is due back in Maryland on Friday, Winfield said. She said the state will pay for his return flight because “he would have had to come back anyway.” The official events on O’Malley’s trade mission included meetings with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny and the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. - View article

23rd June, 2013 -
Rich diaspora helping the poor is a winning formula, says Ruth Dudley Edwards. Sir Terry Wogan, a founder member of the Ireland Fund of Great Britain (IFGB), was the star speaker on Friday night at the celebration at the Reform Club of its 25th anniversary. In the course of a typically self-deprecating and amusing speech, he spoke seriously about "the wonderful idea" of Sir Tony O'Reilly's that was the IFGB, and of its "magnificent" work for Ireland, which had begun during a difficult period when IRA bombs were killing innocent English people. The extraordinary success of the Worldwide Ireland Funds is inadequately appreciated in Ireland. In 1976, it was the example of worldwide Jewish charities that inspired the then senior Heinz president, Dr Anthony JF O'Reilly, to set up the Ireland Fund in Boston, in partnership with Dan Rooney (president of the Pittsburgh Steelers Football Team and later ambassador to Ireland). The purpose was to pursue in Ireland, north and south, the three goals of "peace, culture and charity". These days there are Ireland Fund chapters in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand and Singapore, which between them have raised more than $450m for 1,200 organisations. Sir Anthony remains chairman of the Worldwide Ireland Funds. The strategy was to get away from the dreary begging-bowl image of the Irish by appealing to the richest and most successful of the Irish diaspora, so the launch in 1988 of the British arm was a black-tie event at the Dorchester.
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+ RTE ++ Radio Interview: Marian talks to Loretta Brennan Glucksman, outgoing chairman of The American Ireland Fund about her marriages, life and philanthropic work.

+ Irish Times ++ Memories of childhood play role in helping London’s elderly Irish

23rd June, 2013 -
London Letter: sometimes it is the simple things that can spark memories
Sods of turf, camphorated oil, or the sight and smell of an old oil lamp can evoke memories of home for a generation of elderly Irish emigrants living in London, now suffering some form of dementia or memory loss.Each month, the small group – known as Happy Days Reminiscence – meet in Bexley in East London. “We have time to listen, it gives them confidence. If they have trouble with finding a word, then we will wait,” says Dublin-born Eileen Taylor.
The seeds for Happy Days’ creation came from an Ireland Fund of Great Britain grant three years ago. “The money was vital, absolutely vital: it covered the start-up costs and the first year’s operations,” said Ellen Stafford, the director of the Woolwich-based Irish Community Services.The Woolwich organisation was set up in the 1980s during “a time when a lot of Irish denied, or hid their nationality” because of IRA bombings that saw them “being spat at, abused, or refused service in shops”, Taylor said.Today, the problems of the Troubles have gone, but many of those who came in the 1950s and 1960s are now ageing, and beginning in some cases to suffer from dementia, bringing new troubles.“Dementia care has to be culturally sensitive, because often, or sometimes the people concerned can only remember the past. That can be quite difficult to get through to the services here,” Taylor said.
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23rd June, 2013 -
Irish leader Enda Kenny and former U.S. Ambassador Dan Rooney lead tributes
Eloquent tributes were paid to departing Chairman of the Worldwide Ireland Funds Loretta Brennan Glucksman at the organization’s annual Irish conference at the K Club in Kildare on Friday evening. She will step aside at the end of this year.
Ex-U.S. Ambassador Dan Rooney and Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny led the tributes to Brennan Glucksman, who will retain the title of Chairman Emeritus. Over 400 attended the annual dinner including 200 from North America.
Ambassador Rooney recalled when he and co-founder of the American Ireland Fund Tony O’Reilly approached Loretta and told her that they wanted her as the new chairperson. “She graciously agreed and went on to make history,” he stated.
He said the growth of the fund and its dramatic fundraising success had been down in large part to Brennan Glucksman’s amazing work on its behalf.
“Loretta has made a profound difference,” he stated.
Irish leader Enda Kenny also had fulsome praise for Glucksman who steps down after 15 years. He warned incoming chairman John Fitzpatrick that he had a very tough act to follow and that it was the “hottest of hot seats.”
“On behalf of the Irish people I want to thank Loretta for her dedicated work,” he stated, noting that the huge success in recent years of the Promising Ireland campaign had been due in large part to her drive and determination.
It was also noted that Loretta Brennan and her husband Lou had contributed $27 million themselves to projects in Ireland.
One of Ireland’s most prominent artists James Hanley presented Loretta with an oil portrait on the evening.
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+ The Independent ++ 'Charities have to fundraise and not be fund receivers'

22nd June, 2013 -
Veteran fundraiser Loretta Brennan Glucksman joins philanthropists in the K Club
SOME of Ireland's biggest philanthropists are gathering in the K Club today – and none of them are Irish. At the Ireland Funds annual conference in Kildare, donors from all over the world are learning about Irish non-profits and social projects with the intention of opening their wallets.The Ireland Funds has raised $450m (€343m) since it was first established in 1976 and has supported more than 1,200 Irish charities. It is active in 12 countries, though most of its donors come from the US.
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+ The Irish Times ++ Donors to The Ireland Funds visit Irish charities to which they donate

21st June, 2013 -
President Michael D Higgins announces that the Promising Ireland Campaign will have raised $150 million by the year’s end.
Posters crowd the walls of the computer room of the Belvedere Youth Club in Dublin’s inner city, warning the kids that food and drink are banned and to keep their feet off the hard drives. But among the A4 sheets hangs a stylish plaque which informs those who read it that this project is supported by the Ireland Funds. Yesterday eight donors visited the club to see where their money goes. They are part of a 200-strong delegation visiting Ireland for the funds’ annual conference, which is being held in the K Club in Co Kildare. “I think it’s really important to come and visit the projects and see what’s going on. In New York and throughout the US there’s a lot of great support and energy behind supporting Ireland.” That support was underlined yesterday when, in a reception for the donors in Áras an Uachtaráin, President Michael D Higgins noted that the fund’s most recent initiative, the Promising Ireland Campaign, will have raised $150 million by the end of this year, $50 million above target.
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21st June, 2013 -
$150 million by year’s end now the new goal for Promising Ireland campaign
Irish President Michael D. Higgins has announced that the Ireland Funds have set a new goal of $150 million for their Promising Ireland campaign after having smashed through the original $100 million target.
The president was hosting a reception for the Fund at Aras an Uachtarain.
He congratulated The Worldwide Ireland Funds on what it has achieved for Ireland since its establishment in 1976. The President noted that 1,200 charities across Ireland have benefited from the work of The Ireland Funds.
The 200 guests at the reception included leading donors and philanthropists from many of the 12 countries in which the Funds operate; all are attending the Funds’ Annual Conference which takes place this weekend at the K Club, Co. Kildare. During the conference they will consider next steps in light of the outcome of the Promising Ireland Campaign which, in the last five years, has raised one third of the Funds’ total contributions since it was founded 37 years ago.
The delegation was led by outgoing Chairman of The American Ireland Fund, Loretta Brennan Glucksman; Chairman Elect, John Fitzpatrick and the Funds’ Founder, Dan Rooney.
Commenting, Kieran McLoughlin, President and CEO of The Worldwide Ireland Funds, said, ‘The fact that the Promising Ireland Campaign will exceed its original goal by 50% in such a difficult economic climate is a remarkable testament to the generosity of our donors. Philanthropy is the use of private wealth to support the public good. At a time when public funding sources are under such pressure, the role of philanthropy has never been more important.‘
Founded in the US in 1976 and now operating in 12 countries, The Worldwide Ireland Funds have raised over $480 million since, benefitting some 1,200 Irish charities.
The Funds generate private philanthropic donations to support projects in Ireland that promote education, cultural and community development and peace & reconciliation projects across the island of Ireland. All of the monies The Ireland Funds raise are contributed by private philanthropists at no cost to the taxpayer and represent a net contribution to Irish charities.
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20th June, 2013 -
A new campaign aimed at boosting philanthropy in a time of recession was launched by former president Mary Robinson and Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan yesterday.
Mrs Robinson said people and businesses could participate in the One Percent Difference campaign, organised by the Forum on Philanthropy and Fundraising, by providing either money or time. “It’s an opportunity to think about how we need a new narrative about who we are as a people in Ireland, to move away as we have from the failed Celtic Tiger era and have a more positive sense of something that is part of our past that we can really build on,” she said. The campaign website onepercentdifference.ie will help people calculate how much money or time they could donate and suggest which causes might benefit from their generosity. Atlantic Philanthropies and the Ireland Funds have invested “very significantly” in the campaign, according to Mr Hogan.
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+ The Irish Times ++ Innovative babygro takes top entrepreneur prize

18th June, 2013 -
A babygro that aids neurological development in babies took top honours at the Ireland Funds Business Plan Competition which took place in Dublin yesterday. Creeper Crawlers was created by Ollwyn Moran from Dublin with her idea for a babygro with grips. Ms Moran said the babygro idea came about when she noticed her first child had difficulty crawling on wooden or laminate floors. She noticed a gap in the market for a babygro with grips to prevent babies from slipping and sliding when they crawl. “The Creeper Crawlers babygro provides traction and helps your child to crawl because they slip less.” Ms Moran claims the babygro helps babies crawl more successfully and for longer, promoting healthy body and brain connections. Ms Moran teaching science and biology in a secondary school and lectures part-time at Trinity College Dublin. Ms Moran won €10,000 plus in-kind supports from the DCU Ryan Academy, the Guinness Business Centre and Bank of Ireland. The 12 judges reached a unanimous decision to award Ms Moran top prize. “I burst into tears because I was so overwhelmed. To have 12 people endorse you after working on a product you believe in is amazing,” she said. Second place went to Katie Tsouros and Artfetch, and joint third to Sarah King with Nite Rider and Chris McGeady with FindAFrat. The Irish Times is proud media partner to the competition which aims to nurture creativity and hone entrepreneurial skills among early-stage entrepreneurs from the Republic and Northern Ireland.
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+ The Irish Times ++ Perfect pitch for would-be entrepreneurs

17th June, 2013 -
The Ireland Funds Business Plan competition will see six teams of young people pitching their business ideas to an expert judging panel tomorrow for a chance of winning €16,000 in cash prizes and in-kind supports from the DCU Ryan Academy, the Guinness Business Centre and Bank of Ireland. The Ireland Funds launched its inaugural Business Plan last year to nurture creativity and hone entrepreneurial skills among early-stage entrepreneurs from the Republic and Northern Ireland. Last year’s winner, Lukas Decker, secured finance from Irelandia Investments for his company Coindrum, which allows airline travellers to exchange unwanted loose change for vouchers that can be spent in airport shops. The main purpose of the competition is to strengthen participants’ understanding of how to successfully develop and pitch their business plans to potential investors by putting them in front of a judging panel of leading entrepreneurs, executives and venture capitalists who provide feedback in the business ideas themselves and the pitches. - View article

17th June, 2013 -
17th June, 2013 - Over 200 business leaders from the United States and hundreds of others will be in attendance at the K Club in Kildare this weekend attending the Worldwide Ireland Funds annual conference. Taoiseach Enda Kenny is expected while President Michael D. Higgins will host a special reception on Thursday evening.
Both will be keenly aware of the extraordinary clout of the Fund in Irish circles abroad from New York to Sydney and points in between. If the Ireland Fund did not exist they know they would probably have to invent one to tap into the worldwide Diaspora.
The Fund is meeting at a time of extraordinary change in the world of Irish philanthropy, change that will see it in the near future as the largest Irish philanthropic organization.
- View article

+The Irish Times ++ Day-Lewis fundraises in New York for Wicklow hospice

10th May, 2013 -
Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis made a surprise appearance at the American Ireland Fund annual dinner in New York last night to help raise funds to build a hospice in his home county of Co Wicklow. Mr Day-Lewis said the people of Wicklow had raised €3 million to start building a hospice later this year but that further funding to complete the project was not guaranteed because “there is not a lot of money to spare in Ireland right now. “We had hoped that the Government health organisation would come in when we reached the target figure of €3 million and now with the financial situation there is no guarantee that that is going to happen,” he said. The actor spoke emotionally about the importance of the role of hospice care in the lead-up to the death of his mother in England and how she chose to spend her last days living in a hospice. “It does take very unusual people to do that work but they know how to allow each individual to have their dignity at that time,” he told more than 1,000 guests at the event in a Manhattan hotel. Mr Day-Lewis referred to the poor treatment his mother had received at a hospital prior to her move to a “cottage hospital” or hospice near her home. A doctor at a hospital had “seen fit” to tell his mother that she had an inoperable brain tumour and “left her there to contemplate the end of her life,” he said. He had found his mother in “a state of mortal terror” in a geriatric wing of a hospital, which had been condemned with people screaming and “in all kinds of states of distress.” In contrast, the nursing staff at the hospice two miles from his mother’s home showed her and other members of the family “unimaginable care and kindness and skill” guiding them through to the end of her life. Evanne Cahill, chairperson for fundraising for the Wicklow Hospice Foundation, said the aim was to raise money to build a hospice where people in Wicklow could live out their final days in “dignity, comfort and, most importantly, in their home county,” she said. The European premiere of Lincoln, for which Mr Day-Lews won an Oscar this year, in Dublin raised more than $350,000 (€266,000), but a further $3.75 million was required to build the hospice, she said. “While it (Wicklow) covers 800 square miles, you cannot be born or die in County Wicklow because we have no general hospital and no hospice for end of life care,” said Ms Cahill.
The American Ireland Fund also honoured the organisation’s outgoing chairman Loretta Brennan Glucksman and former president of jeweller Tiffany & Company James Quinn at the philanthropic organisation’s 38th annual dinner last night. Ms Brennan Glucksman served more than 20 years as chairman and was succeeded by hotelier John Fitzpatrick. She said that since she and her late husband Lewis Glucksman became involved in the organisation it had raised almost $400 million in donations. The fund recently donated $60,000 to the One Fund set up to benefit the victims of last month’s bombings of the Boston Marathon.
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+ Irish Central. com + Daniel Day Lewis headlines as the American Ireland Fund Annual New York Gala raises $3 million

10th May, 2013 -
The 2013 American Ireland Fund Gala exceeded its target by $500,000 and in total raised $3 million in support of The Worldwide Ireland Funds’Promising Ireland Campaign to assist Irish not for profit bodies. Over 1,100 guests from the spheres of business, the arts and politics attended the 38th Annual Gala at the Grand Hyatt New York at Grand Central on Thursday night. Among the charities helped was the Wicklow Hospice whose patron, Oscar winning actor Daniel Day Lewis, made a rare appearance to acknowledge the Fund’s support. He received a rapturous reception. “Having Daniel Day Lewis present was remarkable,” said President & CEO of The Worldwide Funds Kieran McLoughlin, “We were delighted to have such a celebrated actor show his support and solidarity with Ireland.”
The 2013 Gala honored Loretta Brennan Glucksman, outgoing Chairman of The American Ireland Fund. Under her 18-year tenure, The American Ireland Fund has become one of the largest private funding sources for not-for-profits across the island of Ireland. The award also recognized Loretta’s personal generosity in having contributed over $27 million to The American Ireland Fund in support of numerous causes and institutions.
Also honored was James E. Quinn, former President of Tiffany & Company, in recognition of his corporate leadership, philanthropy and commitment to Ireland. Jim is a longtime supporter of The American Ireland Fund as well as the Michael Smurfit School of Business, Ireland’s leading business school.
The 2013 American Ireland Fund New York Dinner Gala on Thursday evening was chaired by John Fitzpatrick, CEO of Fitzpatrick Hotel Group NA and Adrian M. Jones, Managing Director of Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Kieran McLoughlin, President & CEO of The Worldwide Ireland Funds said, “The generosity and commitment of our donors is the engine behind tonight’s milestone event. Tonight brings the total amount raised since our inception in 1976 to over $445 million, with almost one third of that total raised in just the past four and a half years alone. The Promising Ireland Campaign has now provided vital support to more than 350 outstanding charities in Ireland and around the world." - View article

The Wall Street Journal: A Donor's Invisible Link to Ireland

8th May, 2013 -
When Loretta Brennan Glucksman, the chair of the American Ireland Fund, wants to sell a philanthropic project to a potential donor, all she has to do is make sure that the would-be philanthropist takes a trip to Ireland.
"If you can get them first to Ireland, to see the place and feel the people and to the project, that's the best sales pitch," says Ms. Glucksman, 75 years old.
That approach is one she learned from her late husband, veteran Wall Street trader Lewis L. Glucksman, who died in 2006. He took her on her first trip to the country in the late 1980s and sold her on its charms, beauty, the people and its culture. Mr. Glucksman, a New Yorker and of Hungarian-Jewish descent, had come to love Ireland as a young Navy officer during World War II. He'd spent his furloughs in the country tracking the paths of the Irish writers he adored.
Mr. Glucksman loved Irish literature. He was never happier than when he was on the waters around Ireland, taking in the air, peace and solace, according to Ms. Glucksman. The consummate boater—he liked motors and navigation—he once bought an ice breaker from the government of Norway and sailed it into Kinsale harbor in County Cork, Ireland.
Mr. Glucksman was Irish at heart. Ms. Glucksman is Irish by birth, the granddaughter of immigrants. Together, supporting Irish causes and charities became a passion. Over the years, some $27 million was given by the couple to the American Ireland Fund in support of various organizations and projects, including the Glucksman Ireland House at New York University, which the couple founded in 1993. The American Ireland Fund is part of the Worldwide Ireland Fund, founded in 1976, which raises money for worthy causes in Ireland and around the world.
Under Ms. Glucksman's tenure as chair of the American fund, the organization has grown to be a force in private funding for nonprofits in Ireland. Her vision for the fund is that it will continue "to grow to represent the very real and sometimes ephemeral and unexplainable bond between Ireland and her diaspora."
"People leave Ireland but they never let her go," says Ms. Glucksman. "There is this wonderful umbilical that stays attached. I can't explain it, but I've seen it in operation."
Ms. Glucksman will be honored for her 18 years of service at the American Ireland Fund's gala on Thursday night. She is winding down her time as board chair and her term ends in 2014. The time has gone "quickly" she says. But, she adds, "I am not stepping down. I'm stepping aside."
- View article

23rd April, 2013 -
The American Ireland Fund has donated $60,00 to help with recovery in Boston from the marathon bombings. Fund CEO Kieran McLoughlin stated, “The bombings in Boston are just appalling. That city represents the cradle of the Fund where so much of our support has come from historically and continues to do so.” “To provide practical support and as an act of solidarity, we are making a gift of $60,000 to the One Fund, set up by the Mayor and a number of our Boston based directors. Boston has always stood up for Ireland. Now it's time for Ireland to stand-up for Boston.” Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Menino had announced the formation of The One Fund Boston, the purpose of which is to raise money to help those families most affected by the tragic events that unfolded during Monday’s Boston Marathon.
- View article

Irish Central.com ++ The man leading the fight to legalize the undocumented Irish in America - A quiet hero takes a bow in San Francisco at the American Ireland Fund dinner

13th March, 2013 -
San Francisco: The American Ireland Fund annual dinner here in San Francisco honored Bart Murphy, one of those quiet heroes of the Irish American community who too often get overlooked. I made the 3,000 mile journey to pay homage to a friend of long standing, but also a man who will play a key role in the future of the Irish in this country. I was delighted when the American Ireland Fund, the most prestigious Irish group in the U.S., decided on Bart as their California honoree. It was an acknowledgement of the importance of an issue and of a man who has decided not to play it safe with some worthy charity, but to try and help Irish in the U.S. who desperately need that help
- View article

25th February, 2013 -
Love was in the air at The American Ireland Fund’s Palm Beach Emerald Valentine Celebration, its 23rd annual black tie dinner dance on February 14, 2013 at The Breakers that drew nearly 270 friends and supporters. Michael Gibbons and Thomas C. Quick were the Dinner Co-chairmen, and the Honorary Co-chairs were Loretta Brennan Glucksman, Michele and Howard Kessler and Hillie Mahoney.
- View article

21st January, 2013 -
The Department of Education is to begin funding a music initiative for children - started by U2 and The Ireland Funds. To date, 5,000 children around the country have had access to music lessons under the Music Generation project. U2 and The Ireland Funds stepped in and donated €7m to the scheme in 2007 when funding was cut. Today, the Education Minister Ruairi Quinn confirmed that his department will begin to fund it on a phased basis from July 2014.
- View article

Newstalk: Dept of Education to fund music initiative for children

21st January, 2013 -
The Department of Education is to begin funding a music initiative for children started by U2 and The Ireland Funds. To date 5,000 children around the country have had access to music lessons under the Music Generation project. U2 and The Ireland Funds stepped in and donated €7 million to the scheme in 2007 when funding was cut.
Today the Education Minister Ruairi Quinn confirmed that his Department will begin to fund it on a phased basis from July 2014. Addressing the delegates today the Minister said "By 2016, the investment by local Music Education Partnerships and Government is expected to be on a par with the €7 million donation from U2 and The Ireland Funds".
"The Department of Education and Skills will commence funding the initiative on a phased basis from July 2014". "Music Generation is a great example of how when we put our heads together we can deliver really exciting education programmes in new and innovative ways" he added. Kieran McLoughlin is President and CEO of The Worldwide Ireland Funds.
He commented "We are delighted to see the great impact of philanthropy on the development of a national system of music education in Ireland".
"The Ireland Funds are proud to support this exemplary initiative in partnership with U2, which is transforming the quality of life for so many children and young people - Ireland’s ‘music generation’ of the future" he added. U2's The Edge explains why the project is so important to the band.
- View article

WorldIrish.com: Worldwide Ireland Funds set to gather their 'Young Leaders' for New York summit

14th January, 2013 -
This weekend in Manhattan, the Worldwide Ireland Funds will
bring together over 150 'Young Leaders' from across the US, Ireland, Great
Britain and Canada for their second annual summit. The summit, which begins
Thursday Fitzpatrick’s Hotel Grand Central, will be launched by New York City
Council Speaker, Christine Quinn, American Ireland Fund Board Director, John
Fitzpatrick and Kieran McLoughlin, the CEO of the Worldwide Ireland Funds. On Friday, there will be guest speakers at the Alexandria
Conference Center in Manhattan, a business lunch session at the Nasdaq
Marketsite, Times Square, a Young Leaders Breakout session with facilitators
and an event at the American Irish Historical Society which will be attended by
Consul-General Noel Kilkenny. On Saturday, a business brunch in
Bloomberg’s Conference Center at which Caitlin Duffy, Young Leaders Director of
the Ireland Funds will speak will be followed by more breakout sessions and
finally an evening meal prepared by celebrity chef Marc Murphy at Stone Rose
Lounge on Columbus Circle.
- View article

The Irish Times : US bank boosts U2 children's music fund to tune of $1m

7th January, 2013 -
The U2-sponsored Music Generation fund has received a $1 million (€760,000) donation from the Bank of America/ Merrill Lynch.
The bank, which has substantial operations in Ireland, has given the money which is half of the €2 million pledged towards Music Generation by the American Ireland Fund.
Music Generation was set up three years ago with a €5 million donation from U2. It aims to give every child who wants one a musical education through tuition and instrument schemes set by local authorities.
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan described the donation as “immense” and said he hoped it would encourage other multinationals to support the arts.
“This will be a great example to other major corporations in this country to hopefully make contributions,” he said.
Music Generation schemes are operating in Cork city, Laois, Louth, Mayo, Sligo and Wicklow. The money will allow for expansion into a further four areas: Offaly, Westmeath, Carlow and Limerick city.
- View article

The Irish Times : Clinton offers to support peace in North with American Ireland Fund

9th December, 2012 -
Hillary Clinton has offered to work with the American Ireland Fund to support peace in Northern Ireland, once she steps down as US secretary of state. She made the remarks, which have been seen as a clear affirmation of her continuing commitment to the North, when she visited Belfast last Friday. In a speech to attendees at the Ireland Fund luncheon, held at Titanic Belfast, she said: “So my offer to you is, as I leave this current position and become a private citizen again, I want to continue working with you,” she said. “I want to support you in what you are doing. And I hope that we’ll have a chance to really come to grips with some of the serious remaining problems that are still plaguing the fulfillment of our aspirations for the people of Northern Ireland.” Mrs Clinton said that peace was always a work in progress: “we have to do more to get out of the ballrooms, out of Stormont, into the communities where people live, where there yet is not that sense of lasting hope and optimism.” She asked: “How can we better make an impact on those who are either indifferent or negative toward what has been achieved?”Mrs Clinton said that she was “very serious” about her offer to stay engaged. “I want to remain involved as a friend, an advocate, and a cheerleader for what you have already achieved,” she said.
- View article

8th December, 2012 -
The Worldwide Ireland Funds presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to salute her commitment to peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland over her two decades as First Lady, US Senator and Secretary of State. The specially commissioned Belleek China piece was presented at a luncheon hosted by The Worldwide Ireland Funds in front of 500 guests from all sides of the community in Northern Ireland as well as business, civic, community and cultural leaders. Special guests who attended the event included The First Minister and Deputy First minister of Northern Ireland, along with members of the diplomatic, sporting and entertainment worlds. This was the Secretary of State’s 7th visit to Northern Ireland and was part of her last foreign mission in that role.
- View article

The Financial Times : Clinton urges end to Belfast violence

8th December, 2012 -
The Clintons visited Northern Ireland for the first time in 1995, a year after the IRA ceasefire, and have been regular visitors to the province since. As secretary of state, Mrs Clinton has worked to bolster Northern Ireland’s new political institutions, delivering a speech to its assembly in 2009. “They [the Clintons] started talking about forging peace in Northern Ireland when it was not a mainstream idea,” said Kieran McLoughlin, president of the Worldwide Ireland Funds, a philanthropic body that supports peace building projects in Ireland. At a lunch in Belfast on Friday, Mr McLoughlin presented a lifetime achievement award to Mrs Clinton in honour of her work supporting peace in Northern Ireland.
- View article

5th December, 2012 -
Despite the economic downturn, donations to the Ireland
Funds are increasingly coming from Irish donors rather than overseas
supporters, its chief executive, Kieran McLoughlin, said last night. The
Ireland Funds is a global fundraising organisation that supports worthy causes
in Ireland and abroad. Mr McLoughlin said some of the biggest gifts the
organisation had received for its Promising Ireland campaign had come from
Irish donors. Acknowledging the support of US philanthropists, he announced an
Ireland Funds donation of $250,000 (€191,000) to help victims of Hurricane
Sandy, mainly in the Irish-American neighbourhoods of Queens. Mr McLoughlin was
speaking at the US ambassador’s residence in Phoenix Park at an event to
celebrate the Young Leaders initiative, set up by the Ireland Funds last year.
It encourages people aged 25 to 40 to get involved in philanthropy. Some 150
people attended last night’s sold-out event. Mr McLoughlin told the Young
Leaders they represented “the new wave of philanthropy in this country”. “It’s
very easy to turn in on oneself and not be concerned about need elsewhere . . .
you’ve risen above that.” He said the Ireland Funds would soon be launching its
“Small grants, big difference” initiative, supported by business group Ibec and
The Irish Times, which will support the work of non-profit organisations all
over Ireland. Rugby player Brian O’Driscoll said the work being done by the
Young Leaders gave huge hope for the future. He said leadership was most
relevant in times of adversity. “It’s easy to lead when the going is good . . .
but I think it’s when your back is against the wall that the true leader steps
up and gives guidance.”
- View article

The Irish Times : Encouraging young to believe in philanthropy

5th December, 2012 -
Encouraging
philanthropy during a recession is difficult enough but encouraging
philanthropy among young people raises that challenge to a whole new
level. If they are lucky enough to have jobs, most young people are
preoccupied with holding on to them, so where does philanthropy come into
it? The Ireland Fund, a global network of philanthropists, has met this
challenge head-on with its Young Leaders initiative and says it is already
exceeding its goals. Director Caitlin Duffy said the project had already
attracted 50 members and a network of 500 supporters since it was launched last
year. The number of Young Leaders could easily be doubled, she said, as word
spread. “The age range of the Young Leaders is from 25 to 40 years old and
spans across all sectors,” Ms Duffy said. It has attracted people working
in fields such as stockbroking, technology, public relations and law. “The
common thread that links the group is their desire to give back to Ireland and
make a difference where it is needed.” The Irish branch of the Young Leaders
is one of the newest groups in the programme. It started in the US more than 10
years ago to motivate young adults to get involved in philanthropy and
specifically to give back to Ireland. In January, the Irish Young Leaders
programme pledged to raise €50,000 for charitable causes and it has already
reached that goal. The funds go to support the Ireland Funds annual grant round
which distributes €1 million in funding to projects across the 32 counties in
Ireland. Projects that have received funds include the Computer Clubhouse
for young people in Dublin’s Liberties, the Kids in the Kitchen charity, Guide
Dogs for Autism and the Burrenbeo Trust, which works to protect the Burren
landscape.
- View article

Irish Central.com : The American Ireland Fund to give $250,000 to Sandy victims

30th November, 2012 -
5th December, 2012 - The American Ireland Fund has announced a donation of $250,000 to help victims of Hurricane Sandy in the hardest-hit storm areas. The donation is an acknowledgement of the massive help given to Ireland by U.S. philanthropists and a return gesture by the AIF. The funding is already being used to support the three Irish centers in New York and their extensive volunteer efforts in Rockaway Beach and other locations. "We understand the duty to give back in the U.S. to help those in need after the hurricane," Kieran McLoughlin, President of The American Ireland Fund said. "We are delighted with the incredible response."
He also told an Irish audience that Irish donations to the Ireland Funds are increasing despite the economic turndown. McLoughlin was speaking at the US Ambassador's residence in the Phoenix Park in Dublin where the branch of the Ireland Fund Young Leader's initiative had gathered. McLoughlin told the Young Leaders that they were the “the new wave of philanthropy in this country”. “It’s very easy to turn in on oneself and not be concerned about need elsewhere . . . you’ve risen above that.” Famed rugby player Brian O’Driscoll said the work of the Young Leaders gave massive hope for the future. “It’s easy to lead when the going is good . . . but I think it’s when your back is against the wall that the true leader steps up and gives guidance.”
- View article

Irish Central.com : Breezy Point - Irish groups pledge massive support for homeless residents - $200,000 kicked in by American Ireland Fund and a single donor

2nd November, 2012 -
Irish organizations are rushing to help the besieged Irish community of Breezy Point in Queens which was devastated after the onslaught of Hurricane Sandy.
The American Ireland Fund authorized a $100,000 grant to Breezy Point associations and to Irish immigrant groups affected by the storm. A prominent American Ireland Fund member, Robert McCann, then matched the Ireland Fund donation and many others are expected to follow. In a statement, Ireland Fund CEO Kieran McLoughlin said, “The impact of Hurricane Sandy has been devastating, particularly on vulnerable members of our community. The tri-state area has always stood up for Ireland at its time of need. Now we would like to reciprocate. Consequently The American Ireland Fund is making a gift of $100,000 to assist the disaster relief efforts. This gift will be made to The New York Irish Centre, Long Island, The Emerald Isle Irish Centre, Queens, The Aisling Irish Centre, the Bronx and Queens. These centers cater for the elderly and marginal members of the Irish American community, The Forgotten Irish, in areas that have been severely affected.
We are also making a gift to support the community in Breezy Point in Queens which has been horribly affected. We hope the gift will help the relief efforts in some small way and help a city and region that has always stood by us.”
- View article

The Irish Times: Award recognises service to Ireland from abroad

6th September, 2012 -
PHILANTHROPIST CHUCK Feeney and former Coca Cola head Donald Keough are among 10 recipients of the first annual Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad.
The awards are divided into five categories. Under Arts, Culture and
Sport, the work of Ottawa-based publican and leading figure in the
city’s Irish community, Pat Kelly, was recognised, as were the
contributions of French author and academic Pierre Joannon and
Dublin-born Australian Rules footballer, the late Jim Stynes. Awards for
Irish Community Support were won by community worker Sally Mulready
(Britain) and the executive director of the Boston Irish Immigration
Center, Sr Lena Deevy (US). Peace, Reconciliation and Development awards
were given to campaigner on HIV and Aids Fr Michael Kelly (Zambia) and
chairwoman of the American Ireland Fund, Loretta Brennan Glucksman.
- View article

Independent.ie: U2-sponsored scheme to help children learn music expanding

30th August, 2012 -
Independent.ie: U2-sponsored scheme to help children learn music expanding
August 30, 2012
The U2-sponsored scheme offering affordable music education programme to young children and teenagers is expanding.
The Music Generation programme has put a call put for applications for funding to provide free or cheap tuition to help develop young talent, whether instrumental or vocal.
The programme started thanks to a €5m donation from U2, topped up by €2m from the international charitable network, The Ireland Funds
Already €3m has been awarded to Music Education Partnerships up and running in counties Laois, Louth, Wicklow, Cork City, Sligo and Mayo. The plan is to support 12 local Music Education Partnerships nationwide by 2015.
- View article

Charity celebrates 35 years

26th July, 2012 -
ALMOST 150 people have been buried in a plot maintained for older people
who die with no family or friend to claim them, according to the
charity which maintains it. Alone, the organisation that provides
support to older people in need, yesterday marked its 35th anniversary
with a commemoration ceremony at Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin where its
redesigned and landscaped millennium plot and plaque were unveiled. The
Ireland Funds provided finance towards the plot’s refurbishment. The
plot was established in 1988 when Alone founder Willie Bermingham made a
commitment that the charity would ensure no elderly person in Dublin
would be buried in an unmarked grave. Since then 148 people have been
buried in the plot.
- View article

Irish Examiner: Power of philanthropy - The greatest gift of all — possibility

12th July, 2012 -
In New York’s Lincoln Centre last May over 1,300 Irish Americans and their friends attended a dinner which, in the middle of the most difficult economic circumstances in decades, raised $4.3m (€3.5m) for the American Ireland Fund (AIF).
That evening, AIF also announced that they had reached their $100m (€81m) fundraising goal 19 months ahead of schedule.
This phenomenal largesse was a resounding vote of confidence in the AIF and the great work they have undertaken over the past decisive decades on this small island but it was also a huge vote of confidence in the idea that possibility and Ireland still have a lot in common. The moral support, the solidarity and cross-generational loyalty to the ’ould sod may be even more valuable, more telling in the longer term than the millions of dollars at this very low point in our economic dependency.
- View article

Business and Leadership : Allianz Business to Arts Awards 2012 shortlist announced

12th July, 2012 -
The winners of the 2012 Allianz Business to Arts Awards will be announced on 4 September at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. These awards seek to recognise the importance of arts and business organisations working together on projects.
Nominees for Best Use of Creativity in the Community
The Irish Times & Fishamble: The New Play Company for 'Tiny Plays for Ireland'
• KPMG & Dublin Contemporary
• Mayo County Council for the 'Landmark' Public Art Programme
• Sweny's Pharmacy & community volunteers
• U2 and The Ireland Funds for Music Generation
- View article

28th June, 2012 -
Rebel Wheelers, the Cork sports club for young people with physical disabilities, had a boost ahead of their upcoming summer camp, with a donation from the Worldwide Ireland Funds that will help to purchase track wheelchairs. A 15-strong delegation from the Worldwide Ireland Funds, which held a conference in Castlemartyr last week, visited the club at its COPE Montenotte base, to announce the donation and join the club members in games of rugby, basketball, and floor volleyball, bowling. Committee member Jerry O’Regan, who described the donation as “substantial”, said: “It was fun to watch the delegates trying to keep up with our kids, who were flying around in wheelchairs. They all needed to hit the showers before their event in Castlemartyr that evening!”
- View article

28th June, 2012 -
The Castlemartyr Resort in east Cork was one popular spot last weekend. Former President Bill Clinton was staying in the picturesque spot for the annual Irish Funds conference, while Minneapolis couple Kelly Seamans and Patrick Howard were celebrating their wedding. Naturally, a chance meeting made for a great photo opp! "The 'happy couple' was posing for their wedding photos" in front of the entrance to where Clinton was staying," a source tells PEOPLE. "The bride said 'hi.' He congratulated them and they asked for a photo." - View article

Fundraising.co.uk: Ireland Funds increases target by 40%

26th June, 2012 -
The Worldwide Ireland Funds has increased their fundraising target by 40% following the success to date of their Promising Ireland campaign. Worldwide Ireland Funds’ President and CEO, Kieran McLoughlin, announced at the 2012 Worldwide Ireland Funds Conference in Cork that the goal for the Promising Ireland campaign was being raised from the initial target of $100 million by the end of 2013 to $140 million within the same time frame. The initial goal of $100 million was exceeded in May, 19 months before the campaign closing date. The Promising Ireland campaign is a philanthropic initiative to raise funding for charities from among the Funds’ global network in 12 countries. The new target will require the Funds to raise $1 million a month between now and December 2013, the Funds say. - View article

26th June, 2012 -
Lukas Decker from University College Dublin has been awarded €10,000 for winning the inaugural Ireland Funds’ Business Plan Competition with his ‘Coindrum’ scheme.
Coindrum is an innovative and simple plan to exchange unwanted loose coins from airline travelers in exchange for vouchers that can be redeemed at duty-free shops.
Teams from each of the nine universities across Ireland and Northern Ireland were selected to pitch their business plans before a panel of distinguished entrepreneurs and executives.
“There is a great deal to be optimistic about when you see the breadth and depth of young entrepreneurial talent in Ireland,” said guest judge Alan Foy, CEO of Blueface and Ireland Fund Young Leaders Committee member. “Coindrum is a great example from an undergraduate of this talent and underscores the fact that most great ideas are simple”.
- View article

IrishCentral.com: Ireland Fund announces new goal of raising $140 million

23rd June, 2012 -
New target set for worldwide Irish group to help Irish causes -
Worldwide Ireland Funds’ President and CEO, Kieran McLoughlin, announced at the 2012 Worldwide Ireland Funds Conference in Cork that the goal for the Promising Ireland campaign was being raised from the initial target of $100 million by the end of 2013 to $140 million within the same time frame. The initial goal of $100 million was exceeded in May, 19 months before the campaign closing date. The Promising Ireland campaign is a philanthropic initiative to raise much-needed assistance for charities from among the Funds’ global network in 12 countries. The new target will require the Funds to raise $1 million a month between now and December 2013.
- View article

The Irish Times: Charities to gain as Ireland Funds raises targets

22nd June, 2012 -
IRELAND FUNDS GALA: HUNDREDS OF Irish charities will benefit after the
Worldwide Ireland Funds last night announced an increase in its
fundraising target from $100 million to $140 million by the end of 2013.
The Worldwide Ireland Funds president and chief executive Kieran
McLoughlin confirmed the board of the organisation had agreed to the new
target after it reached its previous goal in May, some 19 months ahead
of schedule. Mr McLoughlin confirmed the good news at the Worldwide
Ireland Funds gala dinner at Ballymaloe House in Co Cork, before an
invited audience of 260-plus guests, including Taoiseach Enda Kenny and
former US president Bill Clinton. According to Mr McLoughlin, the
Promising Ireland campaign, launched in 2009, hopes to raise $1 million a
month between now and the end of December 2013 to support Irish
charities on the entire island of Ireland.
- View article

IrishCentral.com: Michael Flatley, Lord of the Dance and now Lord of the Manor -- Dance king plays host to 200 from American Ireland Fund in Cork

22nd June, 2012 -
Flatley, the Chicago-born dance genius, played host to 200 top Ireland Fund members from all over the world.Driving through the lush Irish countryside en route to Castlehyde, which borders the Blackwater river, you could be forgiven for thinking that this part of earth is God’s acre.Then came the thunderous rains of course, and you might indeed have second thoughts about how wonderful the visit really was. At the mansion however, fate was restored and good work was afoot. The Ireland Fund has soared past its stated target of $100 million raised since Ireland’s downturn and will easily surpass that record. - View article

The Irish Examiner : President Clinton to deliver keynote address at conference

18th June, 2012 -
Former US president Bill Clinton visits Ireland this week to deliver the keynote address at the annual conference of the worldwide Ireland Funds. The three-day event at the Castlemartyr Resort in East Cork, will be
attended by more than 200 business leaders, donors, Ireland Funds board
members and politicians, including Taoiseach Enda Kenny and senior
ministers. Caitriona Fottrell, vice- president and director of the Irish
chapter of the Funds, said last night she saw this as a sign of hope,
while recognising that the recession has put charities under enormous
pressure. "There is no doubt that the recession has seen an increasing
demand for charitable services, but we also see those charities
responding in innovative ways and this gives us cause for hope for the
future," she said. Mr Clinton will attend the conference on Friday when
he will speak on the importance of philanthropy and emphasise his
support for Ireland. He is also expected to express confidence of an
economic recovery and long-term prosperity for the country. Kieran
McLoughlin, president and CEO of the Funds, last night welcomed Mr
Clinton’s visit. "We are thrilled that [former] president Clinton is
travelling to Cork to show his continuing solidarity with Ireland and to
mark the success of the Ireland Funds ‘Promising Ireland Campaign’ and
the generosity of our donors."
- View article

Irish Central: President Clinton to make return visit to Ireland in June

27th May, 2012 -
Former US President, Bill Clinton, is to return to Ireland next month to make a keynote address and meet with business leaders and philanthropists, the Sunday Business Post has learned. Clinton’s visit in June is being organized to coincide with the Worldwide Ireland Funds annual conference in Cork where he will be the keynote speaker to more than 200 conference attendees.
He will speak on the importance of philanthropy and also re-emphasize his confidence in and support for Ireland and its economy over the long term. It is believed that the Taoiseach and other members of the government will also be in attendance.
- View article

4th May, 2012 -
The biggest fundraising dinner in the history of Irish America or indeed Ireland, took place last night at the Lincoln Center in New York. The American Ireland Fund raised a staggering $4.3 million blowing away all previous records.
- View article

The Irish Times: Obama piles on the praise as Endamania takes hold

21st March, 2012 -
“What a great face he puts on Ireland for all of us in America,” said Congressman Richard Neal. “Enda Kenny has energy. He also has intellect and he has great goodwill. He is not a man for turning,” said Loretta Brennan Glucksman, chair of The Worldwide Ireland Funds.
- View article

The Irish Times: Kenny urges US firms to invest in Ireland's recovery

20th March, 2012 -
Before heading to The American Ireland Fund’s gala dinner, the Taoiseach stopped at the Irish-owned Dupont Circle Hotel for a photo opportunity marking the resumption of direct flights between Washington and Dublin, which stopped in the autumn of 2009.
- View article

19th March, 2012 -
Taoiseach Enda Kenny today addressed The American Ireland Fund Gala dinner in Washington, D.C. The Taoiseach is in Washington on the final part of his visit to the United States to mark St Patrick’s day. - View article

The Irish Times: Chieftains going strong at 50

9th March, 2012 -
The legendary Chieftains were presented with the inaugural National Concert Hall Lifetime Achievement award at a recent gala event hosted by the American Ireland Fund in Philadelphia.
- View article

The Irish Times: The Budding Philanthropists Putting Ireland First

3rd March, 2012 -
Ireland has never been too keen on philanthropy. Big-time giving, long a feature of the United States, is a bit of an alien concept here. Irish people give generously to the Third World and disaster appeals, but when it comes to education and social services we have mostly been content for the Government or the Catholic Church to pick up the tab. The Ireland Funds, a global network of philanthropists, is seeking to change that. Today about 400 Young Leaders have signed up as members in Ireland, the US and Australia; the organisation says that thousands more attend regular fundraising functions. So far they have raised more than $1 million, with funds going to support projects such as Belvedere Youth Club, in Dublin’s north inner city, and the National Institute for Intellectual Disability, based at Trinity College Dublin.
- View article

The Wall Street Journal: Black Tie and Surfer Chic at the Breakers

22nd February, 2012 -
We spent two evenings at benefits at the Breakers, the big resort here. There may have been more benefits at the Breakers this weekend but a) we didn't hear about them and b) two benefits at the Breakers are enough, don't you think? The two parties were very different, but equally stacked with heavy hitters. The first was the 2012 Emerald Isle Palm Beach Dinner Dance, benefiting the American Ireland Fund. This philanthropic network supports various causes and organizations across Ireland. The "Promising Ireland" Campaign has pledged to raise $100 million by the end of 2013 for various Irish charities. As of now, the organization has raised $83 million, making it $20 million ahead of schedule, said Kieran McLoughlin the president and CEO of the Worldwide Ireland Funds.
- View article

The Irish Examiner: Taoiseach to deliver speech at Harvard

15th February, 2012 -
Taoiseach Enda Kenny begins a three-day visit to the US today, the setpiece of which will be a speech to Harvard about the Irish economy and political leadership. He will deliver a speech on the economy and leadership to the JFK School of Government at Harvard at 5pm US time tomorrow, circa 10pm Irish time. Later tomorrow night, he will address business leaders at a dinner in the Four Seasons Hotel hosted by the American Ireland Fund.
- View article

The Irish Times: Clinton asks US business to invest in Ireland

10th February, 2012 -
Bill Clinton came through for Ireland yesterday, big time. Who else could have brought together two dozen of America’s wealthiest men to talk about a cash-strapped island? “As president, Bill Clinton drove the key [Irish] national agenda of reconciliation,” said Kieran McLoughlin, president of The American Ireland Fund. “Now he is driving the current agenda of recovery.” Mr Clinton too was generous with praise. “I can tell all of you that this array of leaders made the case very well,” he said, gesturing to Mr Kenny, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton.
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Irish Central: The Celtic Comeback begins as President Clinton leads an Irish charge --Powerful Fortune 500 leaders show way forward for Irish economy

10th February, 2012 -
Mark February 9th as the day the Celtic Comeback began. That was the day in New York that former President Bill Clinton gathered the rich and powerful in American business and delivered them on a silver platter for the Irish government leaders, including Prime Minister Enda Kenny and Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore, as well as Jobs Minister Richard Bruton. Kieran McLaughlin CEO of the Ireland Funds summed it up when he stated that what he was hearing was the beginning of what he called the "Celtic Comeback." And not before time we all thought. Enough of the doom and gloom and more of the American can-do.
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Yahoo News: Ireland Funds Young Leaders Commit to Raising Over $1 Million for the Promising Ireland Campaign at Their First Global Summit in New York

22nd January, 2012 -
The Worldwide Ireland Funds first global summit of Young Leaders announced today that the group will raise over $1 million for the Promising Ireland Campaign through its global network of young philanthropists. 100 members of the Young Leaders' group - professionals in their 20s and 30s - are participating in the inaugural event from Ireland, Canada and from U.S. chapters in Boston, Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Chicago.
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Autism Speaks: International Conference on Autism in Ireland

18th January, 2012 -
A fine mist was rolling in off the Atlantic as we made our way to the opening session of last week’s International Conference on Autism at the National University of Ireland, in Galway. Autism Speaks partnered with the university and the American Ireland Fund to put together a program that attracted not only researchers and clinicians, but also parents and policy makers. In all, more than 600 delegates attended this productive conference in the beautiful town of Galway, on Ireland’s west coast.
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Irish Central: New Irish president Michael D Higgins will visit US in May

16th January, 2012 -
New Irish president Michael D. Higgins will come to America on his first official visit in May IrishCentral has learned. Higgins will be guest of honor at the American Ireland Fund dinner held in New York which annually raises millions for worthy Irish charities.
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Financial Times: How to give it: Basil Geoghegan

18th November, 2011 -
The co-chairman of the Ireland Fund of Great Britain talks about the group's new focus - the "Forgotten Irish" campaign. He climbed Everest this year in aid of the fund's Forgotten Irish appeal.
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17th November, 2011 -
A crowd of 450 gathered to pay tribute to honorees Denis Healy, co-chairman of Turtle Wax Inc. and an original founder of the Ireland Fund in Chicago, and Michael Flatley, the renowned Irish dancer with Chicago roots.
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Boston Magazine: The American Ireland Fund Boston Dinner Gala

1st November, 2011 -
John Adams author David McCullough, Pats poohbah Bob Kraft, Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, John Hancock honcho James Boyle and more than 1,000 others raising more than $2.3 million for the American Ireland Fund.
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1st October, 2011 -
Considering the diaspora as a national asset is not a new phenomenon, nor is it unique to Ireland, but one of the major participants at the forum, The Ireland Funds, is a model that many governments review when looking to engage their own global citizens.
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12th September, 2011 -
The world premiere of Termon, a stunning piece of music commissioned by The American Ireland Fund and composed by Micheal O Suilleabhain and performed by the Irish Chamber Orchestra.
Merrion Street - October 7
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30th June, 2011 -
A campaign to raise €70m (£63m) by 2014 for Ireland's charities from philanthropists across the world who have Irish connections is set to reach its target ahead of time. The Ireland Funds charitable foundation has already hit the €50m (£45m) mark.
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Inside Ireland: Music Generation, the U2 and Ireland Funds supported National Music Education Programme, is to create up to 30 new jobs

20th June, 2011 -
Between 20 and 30 musicians are expected to be recruited over the next three months. The programme is enabled by a €5m donation from U2, and a further €2m from Ireland Funds.
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The Irish Times: Members of Ireland Funds to visit projects

13th June, 2011 -
About 180 members of the Ireland Funds will attend the organisation's annual conference in Clare and Limerick in the coming weeks. The visit comes mid-way through the organisation's 'Promising Ireland' campaign, which has already exceeded its mid-way target of raising $50 million (€34,800,000) for Irish projects.
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Irish Central: New York Irish Arts Center gets major boost of $1.5 million for their new facility

10th June, 2011 -
The Irish Arts Center's 'Capital Project', to build a new facility for Irish culture in New York City, was given a major boost of $1.5 million in donations from private investors and the American Ireland Fund
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Irish Central: Enda, Irial and Ali Honored by Fund

13th May, 2011 -
More than 1,200 guests gathered in a tent at Lincoln Center on May 5, for the American Ireland Fund New York Dinner Gala, the largest of the 100 events held annually by The Worldwide Ireland Funds.
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9th April, 2011 -
The Irish Times reports that a €7 million initiative funded by U2 and The Ireland Funds to promote musical education in Ireland has attracted a 'phenomenal' response. Music Generation, the national music education programme for young people, received expressions of interest from all 34 local authorities.
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The Irish Echo: Taoiseach hits home run in DC visit

23rd March, 2011 -
He and his wife, Fionnuala Kenny, seemed at ease as they breakfasted with Vice President Joseph Biden and various media luminaries at the vice president's home, attended the St. Patrick's eve American Ireland Fund's black tie dinner, and were guests of honor of the president at the evening reception in the East Room of the White House.
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Business & Leadership: Gathering the diaspora

18th March, 2011 -
In addition, there are innumerable charities dedicated to serving the cause of Ireland. Among the most powerful is The American Ireland Fund, which in 25 years has raised US$300m to support peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, community development and education in Ireland.
Business and Leadership - March 18
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Good Day New York: The Worldwide Ireland Funds President & CEO Kieran McLoughlin

10th March, 2011 -
Joined by the Honorees from the 2011 New York Young Leaders St. Patrick's Celebration, Irish Boxer John Duddy and Actor Holt McCallany
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The Irish Echo: President & CEO of The Worldwide Ireland Funds Kieran McLoughlin in the Media

1st March, 2011 -
University of Limerick Foundation raised in excess of $500,000 at the launch of the Frank McCourt Chair in Creative Writing in New York.
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Merrion Street: Taoiseach addresses American Ireland Fund

1st March, 2011 -
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has addressed the American Ireland Fund 19th National Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington DC. In his address, the Taoiseach spoke of the Government's plans for Irish economic recovery and the reasons to be "optimistic" about our economic future.
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17th February, 2011 -
When Andrew McMaster began studying in Queen's University in Belfast, the 22-year-old didn't expect to be working in a global financial corporation in New York a mere three years later.
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